Teaching English to children may not as simple as it seems, but it is not impossible. The great challenge of any teachers is to make sure; as educators; they are able to keep them captivated. Once you do that you have 70% of the battle won. Thanks to the internet, most English material can be found online for teachers and students. New media has added value to teaching from images to audio to video. English lessons for children can be found online, with readily available lesson plans for teachers to follow. You can find English songs for children to sing and chant in class which make classes lively and exciting for students. There are even many types of English dictionaries online which range from American to British English.
The 4 simple ways of mastering the art of teaching English to children is listed below:
1. Establish a Bond, the closer you are to the children, the more they will be interested in learning from you. Speak more in English and only English. Pronunciation is important; so don't take it lightly. When you introduce new vocabulary to the students. First write it out on the whiteboard. Pronounce each word clearly. Then get them to repeat the words out loud and tell them look it up in a dictionary to find out what it means. At first, they might be reluctant. Once you get them to do it, it will become a part of their routine. As educators the most important thing would be to ensure the children can identify, read and most importantly pronounce the word clearly and learn the meaning of the new words. When they come back for the next class. Reinforce by playing vocabulary game, on who can spell and remember the meaning of the word. For every word spelt right give them a star. That would make their day.
2. Identify the way each child learns, be sensitive to their style. It is definitely not easy to teach and control a class of 20 to 30 students. There are different types of learners, if a particular kid learns fast through 'audio'. It means that the particular kid is an 'audio' learner. Try teaching them through music by making them practice a song in a sing-along. If you have the facilities why not use movie clips or even animation. You can even get interesting English songs for kids from CDs, from the music or book stores. For instance, if your kids like Barney, then get your kids to participate in a Barney sing along.
3. You can also let your kid mix with kids whom are their age whom are native speakers of the English language. How to do so? Well, during play hours, you may let your kids meet this group of children who will always be at the park. Have your kid bring a toy along which he can share with those kids too. Please keep on checking that your kid is comfortable being around those kids.
4. For children who are more to hands on, you are advised to get activities which involve movements an all. Make them dance shake their body to an English. Barney sings-along songs are very good examples. This is because, usually, by watching the movements that Barney makes, most kids are attracted to follow and sing along too. You can also also have your kids write out things they see or maybe an interesting short story. Make it seem like a game so that they feel more interested to play along with you. Praise your kid when they do it right and encourage them.
